Thoughts on going to a 9 game conference schedule

#1
UTwild82

UTwild82

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#1
I know this has been talked about more than a few times, but just a couple of random thoughts. One is going to a 9 game conference schedule. Would you be for it? I think it is inevitable with expansion. The second thought is something I know will never happen, but just wanted to see what everyone else thought. What if the SEC did away with divisions and just had the two best teams play in Atlanta. Goodness knows how many times we would have played Florida in Atlanta in the 90s. The thought here is each team having 5 permanent opponents then rotating the other 8 teams every other year(thus why this is linked to a nine game conference schedule question) Like the idea? Hate it? What five teams would u like to see UT play in that format? If you are a fan of another SEC team what five teams would u like to play every year?
 
#2
#2
I think a 9-game conference schedule is inevitable. Keep the protected rivalry matchups and then rotate 2 teams from the opposite division on each team's schedule, a home and home. For example, UT continues to play the 6 others in the East, and automatically plays Bama every year. But then we rotate 2 west teams to make up the last 2 conference games. Maybe LSU and A&M, Ole Miss & Miss State, etc. I don't think its fair to have teams/players only visit a East/West team only once every 7-10 years. In the current system, UT won't play Auburn again for nearly a decade. A part of playing in the SEC is the experience of going on the road and playing in either team's hostile environments. Some of these SEC players won't get to experience games in Baton Rouge, College Station, etc.

I also kinda like the idea of just having one big 14 team conference with a rotation on opponents. Maybe each team permanently plays 3 teams a year and then rotates the other 5-6 teams every year. Having this structure would definitely ease some of the controversy on legit national title contenders that are left out (for example: Georgia in 2007, Alabama in 2011, even though they went on to win the NC, had Bama-LSU played in SECCG it would've allowed another team like Oregon or OK St to play the winner.)
 
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#3
#3
I'm for it and think they should have already done it for 2015 or 2016, instead of listening to all the pissing and moaning from the coaches and ADs (save Saban and someone said Hart as well).


The conference faced the same thing in 1992 when it expanded to 12 teams and needed to move from 7 games to 8 games plus a 9th championship game. Every coach in the league (Majors included) was bemoaning how all this was going to do was weaken the SEC and keep teams from winning National Championships as it was "tough enough already." Kramer didn't listened to them, pushed the presidents to make the vote, and did what was necessary...and look at the success and strength of the conference today.

However, unlike when Kramer dealt with it, our conference is going to (timidly) be the last one to make the move here rather than the first (as it was in 92).




Also, the sooner the conference moves to 9 games, the sooner you stop hearing Les Miles arguments about doing away with cross-divisional opponents, and the sooner any movement by the media in that direction loses steam...
 
#4
#4
I dont know exactly how to make it work but for me, a perfect world would be for the student athletes have the opportunity to play in EVERY SEC VENUE if they elect to stay in school for 4 complete years.

Not sure how to make that happen. Its a shame, although we had a great time there, that we have to play @ Ole Miss again this season. We would like to return the kindness shown to us in Oxford that rainy weekend.
 
#5
#5
UTwild82 said:
I know this has been talked about more than a few times, but just a couple of random thoughts. One is going to a 9 game conference schedule. Would you be for it? I think it is inevitable with expansion.

The second thought is something I know will never happen, but just wanted to see what everyone else thought. What if the SEC did away with divisions and just had the two best teams play in Atlanta. Goodness knows how many times we would have played Florida in Atlanta in the 90s. The thought here is each team having 5 permanent opponents then rotating the other 8 teams every other year(thus why this is linked to a nine game conference schedule question) Like the idea? Hate it? What five teams would u like to see UT play in that format? If you are a fan of another SEC team what five teams would u like to play every year?
Click to expand...

It'd require a flat out new rule be added to the rule book...and at the moment we'd be the only conference asking for it.

The reason why, at 12 teams, we were able to do the 2 divisions with a championship game was because there was already a rule regarding it (it was actually originally written for division-3 but Kramer found out about it and put it into play for our conference through expansion in 1992)
 
#6
#6
As a fan I would rather see a schedule with one less game nobody cares about, if that means you have to go with an extra conference game in the best conference then so be it.

Plus keeping the games that should be kept.
 
#7
#7
TXA&M07 said:
I dont know exactly how to make it work but for me, a perfect world would be for the student athletes have the opportunity to play in EVERY SEC VENUE if they elect to stay in school for 4 complete years.

Not sure how to make that happen. Its a shame, although we had a great time there, that we have to play @ Ole Miss again this season. We would like to return the kindness shown to us in Oxford that rainy weekend.
Click to expand...

Well that's kind of, unfortunately, a result of it being a "bridge schedule" the last two years...where they more or less have just been trying to sling together something that works for that season alone while they tried to figure out how to make an 8 game schedule work for 14 teams.

Next year's when an actual, full rotation starts.
 
#8
#8
BeecherVol said:
As a fan I would rather see a schedule with one less game nobody cares about, if that means you have to go with an extra conference game in the best conference then so be it.

Plus keeping the games that should be kept.
Click to expand...

Plus, every other major conference (and even some minor ones) will be playing a 9 game schedule starting around 2016 or 2017 (save one playing an 8.5 conference game setup with Notre Dame).
 
#9
#9
TXA&M07 said:
I dont know exactly how to make it work but for me, a perfect world would be for the student athletes have the opportunity to play in EVERY SEC VENUE if they elect to stay in school for 4 complete years.

Not sure how to make that happen. Its a shame, although we had a great time there, that we have to play @ Ole Miss again this season. We would like to return the kindness shown to us in Oxford that rainy weekend.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. It would be good for the players to be able to experience every stadium/atmosphere. I think it's what makes playing in the SEC so great. I'm dying to go to College Station, but seeing as how it's such a long trip, I wanna wait until we play y'all. Who knows how long it'll be until that happens. Could be 5-7 years from now. Which is a shame.
 
#10
#10
The division winners do play 9 SEC games. That's nine more conference games than Notre Dame plays.
 
#11
#11
TrueOrange said:
It'd require a flat out new rule be added to the rule book...and at the moment we'd be the only conference asking for it.

The reason why, at 12 teams, we were able to do the 2 divisions with a championship game was because there was already a rule regarding it (it was actually originally written for division-3 but Kramer found out about it and put it into play for our conference through expansion in 1992)
Click to expand...

Wow, did not know that. I'm sure if the SEC or Big Ten pushed for it, the NCAA would pass it.
 
#12
#12
TXA&M07 said:
I dont know exactly how to make it work but for me, a perfect world would be for the student athletes have the opportunity to play in EVERY SEC VENUE if they elect to stay in school for 4 complete years.

Not sure how to make that happen. Its a shame, although we had a great time there, that we have to play @ Ole Miss again this season. We would like to return the kindness shown to us in Oxford that rainy weekend.
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking, it would be nice to be able to play at every venue in the SEC in a four year period.
 
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